Culvert-mold.



' W. 0. FIFE & s. R. COLEMAN.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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w. 0. FIFE & s. 11. COLEMAN. GUI-VERT MOLD.

APILIOATION FILED NOV.7, 1908. 91 8,030. Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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UNITED sra'rns mam cr mes.

WILLIAM G. FIFE AND STANLEY R. COLEMAN, OF CARSON CITY, MICHIGAN.

GULVERT-MOLD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed November 7, 1908. Serial No. 461,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WiLLiAii C. Fir-n and STANLEY R. COLEMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Carson City, in the county of Montcalm and St ate of Michigan, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Culvert-lilolds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to tire accompanying drawings.

'1 his invention relates to improvements in molds for cement, concrete or other plastic material and more particularly one especially 1 adapted for making cement culverts.

'l he object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical mold of this character consisting of sections which may be readily set up in a ditch to support the cement or other plastic material, and as readily knocked down or separated and removed from the molded body after it has become set.

Vith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the improved culvert mold Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the face or end plate indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is a trans verse section taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 44 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of one of the supporting arms or members.

The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings consists of two similar side sections 1, 2 detachably connected by transverse braces 3 and a top or cover section 4 removably supported upon the side sections. Said side sections are similar in construction and hence a description of one will sufiic e for both. The side section is preferably constructed of a rectangular metal plate or sheet 5 the bottom of which is reinforced by an angle metal bar 6 extending longitudinally from end to end and adapted to serve also as a supporting foot to prevent the side section from sinking into the cement or other surface upon which it is placed. Said plate 5 is also reinforced by a longitudinal bar 7 arranged upon its inner face adjacent its top and by vertical bar. 8 arranged at intervals throughout the length of the section upon its inner face between bars 6, 7, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Pivoted at 9 upon the bars 8 are a plurality of swinging arms or levers 10 adapted to support the cover section 4 of the mold above and between the side sections when the mold is set up for use and. to permit said cover section to drop downwardly between the side sections after the cement or plastic material has set or become hardened, in order that the mold may be taken apart and removed from the molded structure. Said supporting arms 10 are preferably angular in shape, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, their lower ends being pivoted at 9 and their upper ends being bent inwardly at right angles, as shown at 11, to engage and support the bottom edges of the cover section 4. "Elle intermediate portions of the arms 19 are pivotally connected, as at 12, to a connecting bar or link 13 having one of its ends projecting beyond the end of the side section and pivoted at 14 to the intermediate portion of a hand lever 15, which latter has its lower end pivoted at 16 to a bracket arm 17 upon the adjacent end of the side section. The arms 10 are of equal length so that when the lever is swung from its vertical position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 to its dotted line position. in said figure, all of the links 10 will be swung simultaneously in the same direction so that their bent ends 11 will drop and lower the cover section 4 from its full line position to its dotted line position shown in Fig. 3.

The top or cover section 4 may be of any suitable shape and construction, but as illustrated it is semi-circular in cross section being formed from a metal plate or sheet 18 bent into such form and reinforced by semicircular brace bars 19 secured at intervals upon its inner face, and also by angle metal bars 20 secured to its bottom edges so as to engage and rest upon the ends 11 of the arms 10. The cover section is further strengthened by cross rods or braces 21 arranged between the angle metal reinforcing bars 20.

The detachable braces 3 are in the form of rods having their extremities bent at right angles, as shown at 22, and adapted to be reinovably inserted in sockets 23 formed by bent metal straps secured to the inner faces of the side sections 1, 2, as clearly shown in the drawings.

If desired, a face or end plate 24 may be employed at one or both ends of the mold for supporting the cement or plastic material adjacent to said ends until it is set. As indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 said plate 24 is i in the form of a rectangular sheet of metal formed in its bottom with vertical slots 25 to receive the projecting ends of the connecting bars 13 and brackets 17 when in position on the end of the mold.

In using the invention for molding a culvert, the bottom of the ditch is covered with grout, cement, concrete or other plastic material and the same is packed smooth to form the bottom for the culvert. The side sections 1, 2 of the mold are then set upIand connected by the braces 3; the levers 15 then swung up to a vertical position and the top or cover section 4 is then placed upon the elevated ends 11 of the supporting arms 10. If the face or end plates are desired they may then be placed in position and the plastic material is deposited in the ditch around and above the mold. After the material has set, the levers 15 are swung downwardly to lower the arms 10 and, consequently, drop the cover section 4 from its full to its dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. When in the dotted line position it may be moved longitudinally or endwise out of the molded structure and by disconnecting the braces 3 from the side sections, the latter may be then removed from the structure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides an exceedingly simple mold for making culverts or the like and owing to its simplicity it may be produced at a small cost, is strong and durable in use, and is exceedingly easy and convenient to set up and knock down so that the molded structure may be made with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A mold comprising two vertically disposed side plates or sections, means for detachably connecting the same to hold them in spaced upright positions, an arched cover section having its depending side edges projecting between and vertically movable between the upper edges of the side plates, series of vertically disposed arms pivoted. at their lower ends upon the inner faces of the side plates and having their upper ends provided with portions to engage and support the lower side edges of the cover section and longitudinally extending operating bars ar ranged upon the inner faces of the side plates and pivoted intermediate the ends of said arms, whereby the latter may be simultane- I ously operated to raise or lower the cover 1 section.

2. A mold comprising two vertically disposed side plates or sections, means for detachably connecting the same to hold them in spaced upright positions, an arched cover section having its depending side edges projecting between and vertically movable between the upper edges of the side plates, series of vertically disposed arms pivoted at their lower ends upon the inner faces of the side plates and having their upper ends provided with portions to engage and support the lower side edges of the cover section, a bearing upon one end of each of said side plates, upwardly projecting hand levers pivoted at their lower ends to said bearings, and

longitudinally extending operating bars ar-V ranged upon the inner faces of the side plates and pivoted intermediate the ends of the hand levers and the arms, whereby when said hand. levers are operated, the arms will be simultaneously actuated to raise or lower the cover section.

3. A mold comprising two vertically disposed side plates or sections, means for detachably connecting the same to hold them in spaced upright positions, an arched cover section having its depending side edges projecting between and vertically movable between the upper edges of the side plates, series of vertically disposed arms pivoted at their lower ends upon the inner faces of the side plates and having their upper ends provided with portions to engage and support the lower side edges of the cover section, a bearing upon one end of each of said side plates, upwardly projecting hand levers pivoted at their lower ends to said bearings, longitudinally extending operating bars arranged upon the inner faces of the side plates and pivoted intermediate the ends of the hand. levers and the arms, whereby when said hand levers are operated, the arms will be simultaneously actuated to raise or lower the cover section, and an end plate or section for the mold disposed vertically in contact with the ends of the side plates and cover sections and formed in its bottom with vertical openings to receive said operating bars and said bearings.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM C. FIFE. STANLEY R. COLEMAN.

\Vitnesses CHAS. F. FOWLER, JAY OLMSTEAD. 

